Searching
All of your data is safely housed in the Platform. But how exactly do you find what you're looking for? There are several ways to search, so you can use the one that works best for you!
Global Search
-
What: A search on several pages in MinistryPlatform at the same time.
- When:
- You're looking for specific information, but aren't sure where it is.
- You want to see various records related to a single individual.
Tip: A Page will be included in Global Search results if the field In Global Search is set to Yes.
- Click the magnifying glass in the upper right corner (next to your picture).
- Type in what you're looking for.
- Press Enter.
Simple Search
- What:
- An expanded search on all fields of a single Page, returning all matches from that page.
- Returns matches from all fields on the page, so search for "Smith" and you'll get any last names, first names, street addresses, and so on, that include "Smith."
- Matches values anywhere in the content (beginning, middle, or end).
- When:
- You know the page where the information is and you want to find it fast.
- You just can't go back to that Grid Layout.
Tip: Use commas to narrow your simple search to a column. Each comma represents a field, so if you want to search the seventh column, type six commas in the search box and then the city you're looking for.
Narrowing your search with commas works best in Grid Layout where you can see (and count) the columns.
- Type what you're looking for in the search box.
- Press Enter.
Column Search
- What:
- A search of a limited number of columns on a single page.
- You'll only see matches from searched columns that start with the search term. But you can use an asterisk as a wildcard to search for criteria anywhere in your data.
- For Yes and No Columns, toggle between Yes, No, and Unset. If you select Unset, you apply no filter to that column. It is not a Null search.
- When:
- You know the page where the information is.
- You know which column it's in.
- You're using Grid Layout.
Tips for Searching
Here are some tips to keep in mind when searching for data in MinistryPlatform.
- When using column search, enter criteria in multiple columns to further narrow your results.
- When searching on a date field, use the following formats:
- For January through September, use M/D/YYYY. For example, "3/5/1990".
- For October through December, use MM/DD/YYYY. For example, "11/07/2012".
- Not sure whether you want an Anderson or an Andersen? Use the asterisk (*) to search for "Anders*n" and find them all! Check out the other wildcards you can use.
- To find records with certain missing data, enter "null" for the criteria. For example, enter "null" in the Email Address column to find everyone who does not have an email address entered on their record.
- Use "not null" or just "*" to find records with data entered for a particular field. For example, enter "not null" or "*" in the Home Phone column to find everyone who has a phone number entered on their record.
- To clear your search and return to the full list, remove all criteria entered in the search box(es).
- You can further filter your results using the Trim Selection Tool.
Search Wildcards
A "wildcard" is a character or phrase you can use with your search criteria to find exactly what you're looking for. Keep these wildcards in mind when searching for certain criteria. And, know that multiple wildcards can be used at the same time! For example, _urge* will return burger, burges, burgest, and so on.
| Character | What It Does | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| * (asterisk) or % (percent sign) | Returns anything with zero or more characters, including spaces | Jef* returns Jeff, Jeffers, Jefferson, and so on |
| _ (underscore) | Represents one character, including spaces | Jef_ returns Jeff, Jefe, and so on |
| [ ] (brackets) | Represents one character that you define or a range of characters that you define | Zac[hk] returns Zach and Zack Zac[h-k] returns Zach, Zaci, Zacj, and Zack 12[3-5] returns 123, 124, and 125 |
| ^ (caret) | Means "NOT", which excludes characters or a range of characters that you define; you must use brackets with this | 12[^3]4 returns 1204, 1214, 1224, 1244, 1254, 1264, 1274, 1284, and 1294 12[^0-5]4 returns 1264, 1274, 1284, and 1294 |
| or | Returns a range that matches your criteria; this is not case sensitive | Brian OR Bryan returns Brian, Bryan, Bryant, Brianna, and so on |
| " " (quotation marks) | Returns exact matches rather than a range | "Brian or Bryan" returns only Brian or Bryan and not Bryant, Brianna, and so on |
| null | Returns all blank fields; this is not case sensitive Note: If you need to find contacts with a name like "Null" or "Nullson", you can search for "nul" or "nul*" instead so only their records display. | null or NULL returns records that do not have anything entered in the field you specified |
| not null | Returns all non-blank fields; this is not case sensitive | not null or NOT NULL returns records that have something entered in the field you specified |
Tip: Want to see how to use wildcards to refine your searches? Check out the Searching In the Wild* webinar in the MinistrySmart Academy!
Common Search Examples
Keep these examples in mind for more efficient searching in Grid layout!
| Search Field | Criteria Entered | Results |
|---|---|---|
| First Name | Pat | Everyone whose name starts with "pat", like Pat, Patty, and Patricia Note: Searching for "Cindy" would not show "Cynthia". |
| First Name | C | Everyone whose first name starts with the initial "c", like Carl and Christy |
| First Name | Kathy or Sue | Everyone named Kathy or Sue, but not Kathryn or Susan |
| Display Name | S | Everyone whose last name starts with the initial "s", like John Smith or Chloe Stevens |
| Display Name | Smith | Everyone whose last name starts with "Smith", like John Smith or Annie Smithson |
| Display Name | Smi,K | Everyone whose last name starts with "Smi" and first name starts with "K", like Karen Smith and Ken Smiley |
| Address Line 1 | *Main | Everyone living on Main Street, Old Main Drive, East Main Court, and so on |
| City | Florence | Everyone living in a city called Florence, no matter the state |
| Phone Number | *843 | Everyone whose phone number contains "843" anywhere in the number |
| Date of Birth | 11/5 or 11/27 | Everyone born on November 5th or 27th, no matter the year |
| Date of Birth | 9* | Everyone born in the month of September |
| Date of Birth | *1986 | Everyone born in the year 1986 |
| Email Address | null | Everyone who does not have an email address entered on their record |
| Email Address | not null | Everyone who has an email address entered on their record |